Senegal’s president diomaye faye launches new party kiiraay, solidifying split from sonko
Senegal’s president diomaye faye launches new party kiiraay, solidifying split from sonko
On Saturday, July 25, 2026, Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye inaugurated his new political party in Dakar, a move that formally acknowledges his widely publicized separation from his former mentor and ex-Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko. Sonko leads the pan-Africanist Pastef party, the political vehicle that propelled both men to power in 2024. Upon assuming the presidency, Faye had appointed Sonko as Prime Minister, but their relationship grew increasingly strained, culminating in Sonko’s dismissal from the government in May.
- Politique
President Faye unveiled his new political entity, named « Kiiraay », meaning « protection » or « shield » in the Wolof language, during a conference held at a prominent hotel in Dakar. Outside the packed conference hall, hundreds of his enthusiastic supporters braved the scorching heat, waving placards and donning decorative scarves emblazoned with « Vive Diomaye ». While announcing the formation of this new party, whose motto is « Patriotes républicains », President Faye underscored its foundational principles: « the republic, ethics, transparency, fraternity, and hard work ». Among the crowd, Mamo Khady Sall, a 43-year-old who traveled from Yeumbeul, a Dakar suburb, with fifteen other women, lauded Faye as a « man of peace », openly expressing her strong disapproval of Ousmane Sonko, whose name she refused to utter.
Ousmane Sonko had previously garnered significant support from young Senegalese citizens through his compelling pan-Africanist discourse, following a prolonged power struggle with former president Macky Sall, who governed from 2012 to 2024. Both Sonko and Faye had spearheaded a campaign focused on ushering in change, advocating for economic transformation, social justice, and a robust fight against corruption. However, Ibra Faye, an economist and financial engineer from Dakar, observed that « after these two years in power, we realize that the demanded changes were not at all feasible within the current framework » of the Pastef party.
« Parti majoritaire »
Addressing his supporters, President Faye confidently asserted, « Kiiraay is the majority party in this country », highlighting the presence of numerous mayors, sector leaders, and civil society figures at the gathering. Several key officials and activists from Pastef have recently announced their resignations to align themselves with the presidential camp. According to the president’s communications team, the new party is slated to hold its inaugural congress following the nation’s summer rainy season. Bassirou Diomaye Faye largely owes his ascent to the presidency to Ousmane Sonko, his former mentor, who would almost certainly have secured the head of state position had he not been disqualified from the 2024 presidential election in this West African nation due to a defamation conviction.
Dette publique
The two political figures subsequently fell out over disagreements concerning the strategy to tackle Senegal’s substantial public debt and various other policy matters. On May 22, Bassirou Diomaye Faye officially removed Ousmane Sonko from his position as Prime Minister. Sonko’s allies swiftly appointed him President of the National Assembly, where he remains the undisputed leader of Pastef, controlling 130 of the 165 seats in Senegal’s unicameral parliament. In late June, the National Assembly passed a bill aimed at curtailing presidential powers, notably by prohibiting the head of state from leading a political party or coalition of parties. Nevertheless, the Constitutional Council invalidated this measure less than two weeks later.